Opinion

June 20, 2011

"The potential recreational value of a large lake, which would be created by the proposed Saline River dam, is evident in last year's attendance at similar lakes which have become major recreational attractions. Lake Ouachita, formed by the Blakely Mountain dam near Hot Springs, had 1,743,000 visitors, and Bull Shoals reservoir, extending from Northern Arkansas into Southern Missouri, had 1,663,000. The lake impounded by the proposed Saline dam would not be as large as these two, and the number of visitors it would attract annually is a matter of speculation.

October 14, 2014

College customs are markedly different today from what they were during the "old days."

By that I mean specifically the time of my youth. And I particularly refer to the rules and regs for females in school housing.

I've thought about this recently when I became aware that my youngest granddaughter, now a college freshman, is living in a co-ed dorm.

Granted, males and females aren't roommates â€” at least not yet â€” but if as much change occurs in the future as has occurred in the past few decades, that's not terribly unlikely somewhere down the road.

September 29, 2014

Bless the man or woman who steps out and makes the decision to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune as a candidate for public office. In my years as editor of this newspaper, I have had the privilege of meeting the great majority of these same people. Some win. Some lose. In both cases, some show more grace than others, but without the conviction to jump into fray that each candidate feels, the cities and the county that we all enjoy would be a lesser place to live. I believe the vast majority of them to be good people.

August 25, 2014

The paths of two people crossed Thursday in the parking lot at Target in Bryant. Less than 24 hours later, one life ended at the hand of the other and a community struggles to understand why.

The tragic death of Heather Baker has left me puzzled and, quite frankly, numb.

I was driving back to Benton from Bryant by taking the long way through Bauxite. Along the way a sheriff's department vehicle sped by me in the opposite direction as if on fire with lights and siren blazing. Flipping on the police scanner, I heard the sounds of an emergency in progress.

August 14, 2014

By Bobbye Pyke

The world was rocked this week with the news of Robin Williams' suicide. Many were shocked to hear that one of America's favorite funny men took his own life. Many are currently mourning his loss and sharing stories about how this incredible individual impacted their lives. Many more are questioning how this prominent figure, how this famous comedian, how this well respected, beloved man could take his own life.

July 18, 2014

Bobbye Pyke

This is the home of the American dream. In the U.S. we believe very firmly that with enough hard work, anyone can achieve their dreams. That is the magic of this country; there is so much opportunity that we firmly believe that all we need to do to succeed is put our nose to the grindstone and with enough time and effort, we will become the great American success story.Â

July 7, 2014

Bobbye Pyke

On Monday the United States Supreme Court issued its ruling on Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. The decision stated that Hobby Lobby and other for-profit companies have the ability to deny employees health coverage for contraception based on the religious objections of the companyâ€™s owners.

I could discuss how I believe it is ridiculous to give corporations the right to freedom of religion. I could argue that birth control and other contraceptives have many uses for womenâ€™s reproductive health and have other medical uses other than family planning.